Scroll-forming machine



N. P. PERKINS. scRoLL mamma MAcmNE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. H. 1919.

N. P. PERKINS.

SCROLL FORMING MACHINE. APPucATfoN FILED ocT.11,1919..

Patented Apr. 25, 19.22;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mi. Il"

N. P. PERKINS.

SCROLL FORMING MACHINE. APPLicATloN mw ocr. Il. 1919.

1,4 1 3,609. Patented Apr. 25,`1922-.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATI-is" PATENT em@ NICHOLAS r. PERKINs, or rarncnronj wnsrvrieernm, 'i

"sGRoLL-ron-MINGQMA CHINE aaiaeee.

' Application filed October 11, 1919. Serial No.A 330,047.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be itknown that I, NIoHoLAs P. PERRIN-s,

a citizen. of the United States, residing at This invention relates to wood workingy machinery and particularly to a machine 'for forming the scroll of the head ola violin, or. kindred musical instrument. Y

In the manufacture of violins, it is common practice to carve the neck and head by hand, a very laborious as well as expensive loperation and it is the object of the present invention to provide a machine with which.

the scroll may be quickly and economically cut on the prepared blank, with its opposite sides exact duplicates in reverse, while the curve of thespiral at each side ot the scroll will have all of the peculiar cle-.-

partures Jfrom a perfect spiral, that constitutes the accepted specific shape of this member of the yiolin, in the art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be developed and apparent in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the present invention and illustrating the arrangement and operation ot the cutters, the arrangement of the work tables and the means forfraising and .lowering them with respectto the cutters,.together with the means for manually feeding the Vworkv radially of the spiral while actuating the cam controlled mechanism that reciprocates the work axially ot' the spiral to give the peculiar rise and fall to its curve.

hand side of the machine.

Figure 3 is a section taken horizontally through the central standard of the machine on .the line 3 3 ov Figure l, the work carrying table being` indicated in dotted ylines while the mounting, andr means for shifting it inwardly and outwardly at right angles to the. axis `of vvthe scroll, together with the work and the work clamp, are illustrated in top plan yiew. s E

Figure ,a a detail perspeetive View,

Figure 2 is an elevation, showing the right horizontally shiftable carrier members.

,Figure 5 isa perspectiveyiew of the cam thatdetermines. the rise and fall of theV work, with respectto the-cutter, there be- Specicatonof Letters Patent. vgdjnt@d Apre 25, 19.22

Ashowing disassembled, the vertically and ing associated `with the cam in the draw'-` l,

ing, a perspective Vview of .the violin headV positioned to correspond with the controlling-,curvature ofthe cam.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly' in section and partly in elevation, showing the-mannerof mountingthe rods .Y with r'espect to theV standard or post of the machine, that raise and lower the abutments for the cams and therewith raise and lower the work tables and the work with respect to the cutters in the initiation of operation of the machine, by depression of the foot pedals.l Y i Referring now tothe drawings, theypresent machine comprises front and rear standy aards,y 10 and 11, connected attheir upper ends bythe transverse member 12 and at` points therebelow by a urthertransverse member 18, it of course being understood. that these standards may be bracedv and formed' as desired, they being provided at their lower ends with basesflaand 115 respectively, that are anchored in the usualA Extending laterally from the` upper Vend Aportion of the standard 10, are the arms 16 and l7-having terminal bearings in which f l are received the ,cutter shafts 18 and19 provided each with a chuck 2O designed to hold a cutter 21.. These Acutters are-duplicates,

having longitudinally extending peripheral cutting blades and having also end cutting blades that extend radially of them, so thatV when rotated, 'these cutters will operate both laterally and endwise, the'work, as hereinafter explained being fedk both vertically and laterally to each cutter, while the latter is held against bodily displacement;

The cutter shafts may be driven in; any desired manner but are'illustrated as provided with beltpulleys 22 with which isjengaged an endless belt 23. Upon the standard; 10-

is an .idler 2li against which thebelt vtravels between the pulley wheels'atoneside ofV the latter, the sides of the-beltl at theoppQsite f sides of the pulley wheel 22 beingtapered rearwardly ofxthe y machine with a twist and then taken downwardly overdirection .pulleys 25,v thefpulleys 25 having the inner fend portions oftheir shafts 26 turned downy wardly and slidably and pivotally engaged in brackets 27 that project from opposite sides of the rear standard il', these down turned end portions being held normally against movement by set screws `28. re| spectively. There is thus provided means for properly positioning the pulleys 25. Mounted in suitable bearings in the lower end portions of the standards is a shaft 26, fixed to which is a belt pulley/27 with which the belt 23 engages and through the medium of which it is actuated. Upon the shaft 26 ar also thel conventional fixed and loose pulleys 28 and 29 respectively7 from one'to the other of which may be'shifted the drive belt 30 through the medium of a conventional belt shift that includes the reciprocatory rod 3l having the fingers 32 at one' end that embrace the belt, while its opposite end is coupled to a shiftmember 33 that is pivotedupon the Vbase 14. To provide a tightener for the belt 23', the idler 24 is mounted a't the end of an arm 26 that is passed slidably through the head of theA standard l0 and held normally fixed by the hand screw 27. The rod terminates at its forward end ina handle 23 for reciprocating it when released from` the center of one end .of the ultimate scroll..

The work is then gradually rotated about the axis of the ultimate scroll while being gradually drawn to shift the' said axis horizontally l away from the vertical axis of the VVvertical cutter. The work is at the same time raised and lowered at various speeds, to correspondingly modify the pitch of the scroll. i

rlhere will first be described the table upon -which the` work is clamped, then the means by which the table is raisedV to present the work to the cutte then the means through which the table is drawn with its axis in a oirection at right angles to' that of the 'cuttenthen .the means by which the table is shifted vertically with a reciprocatory move- Y ment-*to effect the pitch, and finally the means for rotating the table.-

Als hereinbefore stated, there are a pair of cutters 2l employed. ln practice, the blank is' presented tofone cutter for the forl mation of one scroll end and is then reversed and presented 'to the other cutter for thc formation of the opposite scroll 'en d.' rlChere is Van-attendant to each cutter and the work ls'passed from one to the other in the completion of bothv scroll ends. The work carryters, are the same in Aconstruction excepting-V ingand feeding mechanisms for the two cut- F that the screws that feed the work at right.

an'glesvto the aXesof thecutters, have opposite' pitches so that when the ldirection of the rotation of the Work is reversed under the 'head of the violin through which opens the usual string or peg box, movable clamping cam 38 is suitably pivotedV upon the disk 35 in position to engage the opposite face of the head to be operated upon, when the latter has been-snugly fitted to thev correspondingly shaped holder 37, thev cam having an'operating handle 39. lt will be understood however of course, that the blank may be held upon the disk shaped table'35 in any desired manner to positionit with the axis of the ultimatescroll accurately alined with the axis of the table. f

The table disk 35-is Vprovided with stem in the form of a stub shaft 38 that has a bearing in the horizontal arm 39 of a bracket or carrier member that includes also a vertical arm 40, the arm 39 having bosses 4l and 42 projecting from its upper and lower faces respectively and through which the said Ybearing of theY stub'shaft 3S is `continued to hold the shaft securely against chattering. The carrier member yreferred to, is supported in a second carrier member in the form of a bracket that includes a vertical arm 43 and a horizontal arm that in turn includes the laterally spaced rails 44that are connected slightly short of their free ends, by the crossmember 45 from'which depends a horizontal sleeve 46 that is interiorly threaded, for a' purpose' to be presently explained. The arm 40 is passed downwardly `between the guide rails 44 and the arm 39 rests upon the ledges 47 at the inner sides rails. `The first' named carrier member is thus supported by the second carrier member whileV having limited slidingv movement thereon, for a'purpose to ber presently eX- plained. f Y

To mount the second named carrier member, thatincludes the arm 43, there extends from the standard l() a bracket arm 43 having at outer end a broadened guide plate 49 against vwhich is disposed the arm 43 which is longitudinally channelled as shown at 50 to receive the portion 49, retainer plates 5l being fixed to the arm 43 and engaging'behind the portion 49, where they are adjusted by their retaining screws 52 to hold the arm 43 slidably but withsuliicient andA at the bases of the guide` -termines Vthe lreciprocation of the 'work vertically during the cutting-operation, in

' a manner to be'presently explained, but

thiscam serves alsovas a member of the mechanism by which the work suplmrtingV table is initially elevated and Afinally lowered. This mechanism includes a'lbloek`56 that is channelled in itsl rear-face, in the same manner as is the carrier member arm 48, to receive the lower portion of the guide plate 49 that depends from 'the bracket armA 48, the block being held slidably to the guide plate by the keeper strips 57 that are heldr adjustably by the screws 58. At the upper end ofthe block 56 isa stub shaft 59 on which is rotatably mounted a roller 60 on which the cam 55 rests. Now the arm 3 9 of arm that radiates from the standard l0.`

y the first named cam member, being confined slidably between the guide rails 44 by the keeper strips 6l that 'are screwed onto the upper faces of the guide rails, it will be understood that when the block 56 Ais raised and lowered,'thework table carrying m embers. together with the table and `associated parts, will be correspondingly moved.

To effect vertical reciprocation of the block 56, there is pivotally connected with lits lower end portion a shift rodl 62 vthat `is v passed downwardly and through a' tubev 68 that is exteriorly threaded and screwedv throughA a. sleeve 64 at the outer end of an 62 and resting with its lower end against the head 66.,` is a helical v spring 7l` the upper end portion of which encircles the tube 6B and engages 'against a jam nut 72 on the tube in position to impinge against the lower end of the sleeve The upper end portion' of the tube is vformed angular as shownat 73 to recelve' a Vwrench `for' adjustment of it through the sleeve, the lower endofthe tube constituting a stop against which the head y66`strikes 1to limit the upward movement of `the rodand therewith the block56; and the parts there-- above that are raised byrit. Fit will of course be ruiderstood that by adjusting thev tube ,63 through the sleeve 64` the "apparatus" may be so set that whenthe pedal is depressed, the work' on the table will be raised tothe exert position for the initial cutting operation of the corresponding cutter 21.

lVith a knowledge of the shape of a scroll end at the head of a violin', it will be'under stood th'at`to form-such. a scroll end von' 'a` Vpitch of the scroll. f Y i for rotating the table 35v movable Vcarrier member.

.i blank preelented to the cutterv 21 uponv the table 35, t e work must be rotatedV and at the time must be drawn laterallyin adirection atr right angles to the aXis of the cutter to describe the expanding curve ofthe spiral, and: must at the same time be reciprocatedvcrtically to vary and even reverse the The mechanism includes the gear teeth 36 atthe periphery o1" 'the table and which engage the teeth of a beveled 75 that is lcarried by a shaft 76, the inner portion of which is threaded to form screw that engages the nut or thread# ed' sleeve 46 hereinbeifore referred to, the shaft" at its unthreaded portion between'the threads andv the gear' wheel 75, having a `bearimgfin a sleeve 77 that depends from thebracket arm 39, there beinga 'collar 78r fixed upon the shaft byy set screws 79 at the opposite side'of the sleeve 77 from the gear vwheel so that Vthe sha-ft is held against move- :ment-longitudinally through the sleeve 77 while 'being free to rotate therein.` Rotation of the shaft 76, which is accomplished' by means of vthe crank 80, effects lrotation of the table 35 through the gear 75 and teeth '36, at'` which time the shaft 3801. the table rotates in its bearing in the carrier arm 39.

Atthe same time, the screwof thel shaft 76 feeds out of the nut'46, and the `collar 78 pressing against the sleev'e77', causesthe carrier arm 39 lto `slide along the ledges 47 of the vertically shiftable ycarrier `member and kthe table with its work to recede gradually and laterally from thecutter 21.- Y

The spiral vcurvel of 'the' scroll end embodies a plurality of convolutions and while the bla-nk or work 'iis being given two complete rotations, it must, as before statedfbe: 'reciprocated vertically and variably, to pro- 'duce the proper scroll pitch.l This vertical shifting of the work during the cutting` operation after thework table has been' initially set, is accomplished 'through the medium 'o 'l "ther cam disk y55,' werkingen the friction roller abutment 60. The'rcller abutment GOis of such length lthat thecam'disk -3 is in peripheral contact withv it at allpoints lthe' corresponldinglyof horizontal shift Vof To operateithe eamf55, the 'intermeshing bevelgears 38 and 54 are provided that are fixed 'respectively to thelowerfend of the shaft 38 andthe outer end of the :hub ot 'the cam` 55, the geajr `38 lbeing' one-half the diameter of thegear 54f, so thatwhile the table, and therewith the work is rotating twice, the cam' will have Vone substantial .rotation, which' is its 'cyc'levof 'operationifl The cam is shown in'Figure 5 ofthe drawings, associated'with the headhaving a scroll, the

pitch ofwhic'h-,has been :governed bythe cam and in the'iigure have'been included lines leading'from difl'erel'itV .portions of' the scroll Jface to the corresponding portions of the cam. 1

The cam, rests always on the roller 60 and at the` beginning of the operation, the finger 8l' that radiates from the cam, rests against one side ot the roller 60. Se long as the ra- Y dius of the cam remains constant, there Will of course be no vertical movement of the table with the work thereon. l/Vhen the radius increases` the cam of course becomes effective and by pressing on the roller 60 serves to slide the vertically shiftable carrierarm A3 upwardly en the guide plate 49, taking with it the laterally shiftable carrier member, the table, the cooperating mecha- 4is desired and thus to shape the scroll accoi'di-ngly, for while the apparatus is illustrated and described in connection with the manufacture of a musical instrument, the

illustration and description is only of that embodiment of the invention that it is elected to presentin explanation of the invention which is adapted ttor the working of materials for a variety of uses.

In practice, the apparatus has two attendants and after one scroll end has been formed at one side of the machine, the work is passed to the other attendant, who reverses it and in the same manner as above described, forms the opposite scroll end, t The single difference in the specilic mechanisms vat the opposite sides of the machine. being that the screws of the shatts .76 are oppo sitely pitched so `that the work is oppositely rotated as drawn Alaterally from the cutters.

It will be understood that the cutter 2l has a breadth somewhat greater than the maximum breadth oi" the end .tace of the scroll.

axis of the scroll along`l all ylines drawn radially of the scroll. Lateral undulations `or other modifications of the scroll face, are

contributed subsequently.

-What is claimed is:

l. A violin scroll forming machine com-k prising 'separate cutting faces arranged to cut in planes at an angle to each other, a

work holder shittable simultaneously in di-` rections parallel with the cutting planes of both. the cutting faces, and means for shifting; the work holder'l simultaneously in both directions and with a predetermined andk variable speed ratio.

2. A violin scroll forming machine coin- Vprising separate. cutting faces arranged to cvcut in planes at an angle to each other, a

work holder shiftable simultaneously indirections parallel with the cutting planes ot' both cutting faces,`means Yfor shitting the work holder simultaneously in both directions and with a predetermined and variable speed ratio, the work holder being rotatable in the plane of one of the planes in which it is shittable. I

3. A violin scroll forming machine comprising a rotatable cutterl having a cutting face parallelwith its axis of rotation and a cutting face at an angle thereto,a work holder, means forrshifting the work holder in a direction parallel with one cutting "face, and means operable from the first named means `for variably shifting the work holder parallel with theothei' cutting face.

, 4. A violin scroll 'forming machine comprising a support, a rotatablefcutter supported thereby and having` a cutting tacev parallel with the Vaxis of rotation of the cutter and a cuttingftace at an angle thereto, a

carrier member connected withthe support for movement parallel with the axis ot rotaw tion of the cutter, alsecond carrier mounted upon the lirst carrier and movable with rerspect thereto toward and away from the axis of rotation oit the cutter, a rotatable work holder carried by the second carrier, means for shifting the first carrier, means `for shifting the second carrier, and means for rotating Athe work holder, said means being operable a rotary work holder carried by the Vsecond carrier, means for shiftingthe second carrier and means for shifting the first carrier, the

last named shift-ing means including a gov-V ernin'g element upon the second carrier that determines" the working movement of the first carrier and is operably.connected'with the shifting means of the second carrier.

GLA violin `scroll forming machine complising va support, a rotary cutter supported -v thereby, a carrier member connected with thel support for movement in directions parallel with the axis oit rotation of the cutter, a

` second carrier mounted upon the first carrier and movable with respect thereto toward -and away from the cutter, a work holder kcarried by the second carrier, and shittable ina plane aty an angle to the axis of rotation of the cutter, means for shifting the second carrier and means for initially shiftingthe first carrier, including a cam carried byV and operable from the shifting means of theA second carrier and means against whichthe cam is operative for reciprocating` the irst named carrier, the carriers and workholder being mutually connected for movement on trom another.

'7. A violin scroll forming machine comprising a support, a cutter supported thereby, a carrier member connected with the support for movement toward and away from the cutter in directions parallel with the axis of rotation of the cutter, a cam carried by the carrier member, a rotary work -holder carried by the carrier member and movable bodily therewith, an abutment against which the cam is operable to shift the carrier upon operation of the cam and along which the cam is shiftable, and means 'for operating the cam, the abutment having means for shifting it to correspondingly.

move the carrier and therewith the work holder with respect to the cutter.

8. A violin scroll forming machine comprising a support, a rotary cutter carried thereby, a carrier member connected with the support for movement toward and away from the cutter in directions parallelpwith the axis of rotation ot thevcutter, a second carrier member carried by the first carrier member and movable thereon toward and away from the axis of the cutter, a rotary work holder carried by the second carrier member, a camcarried by the second carrier member, an abutment against which Athe cam is operable torshi'ft both carriermembers with respect to the cutter andralong which abutment the cam is bodily shiftable, means operatively connected with thecam for mov# ing the second carrier with respect to the rst carrier, and meanstor shifting Vthe abutment. Y I

9. A violin scroll forming machine com prising a rotary cutter having straight cutting faces at an angle to each other, a rotatable work holder and separate'means operable'one fromthe other for rotating the work holder and forurging the holder in a plurality of straight directions respectively parallel with and at an angle to one of said cutting faces.

l0. A violin scroll lforming machine comprising a rotary cutter having a `cutting ,face

parallel with its axis of rotation ant a cutting tace at an angle thereto` a work holder that is rotatable and shiftable parallel with both vfaces of the cutter, rmeans tor contributing said movements to the Yholder and a. single drive element lfor the contributing means. l Y y 11. A violin scroll' forming machinecomprising a rotary cutterhavingalcutting face parallel with its axis of rotation and a cut'- ting face at right angles thereto, a carrier shift-able parallel with one cutting tace ot thek cutter, a second carrier shiftable on the first carrier parallel with the othercutting i'ace of the cutter, a support tor the rst carrier including a cam carried by the second carrier and an' abutment shittable toward and away from the cutter, and means connectedwith the cam' and the second carrier for `actuating thercam. and shifting the second carrier with respect to the first carrier; the irstcarrier; being shiftable toward and away from the cutter when the cam is aC- tuated.

l2. A violin scroll forming machine comprising a rotary cutter' having a cutting .tace parallel with its axis of rotation and a cutvting face at an angle thereto, a carrier shittable, parallel with one face oi the cutter, a second carrier shiiitable on the {i1-st carrier parallel with the other face oi' the cutter., aV work holder carried by the second carrier and movable with respect thereto, a support for the first carrier including a shifting element and an element associated with the carriers andthrough the medium of which the first 'carrier may be shifted upon shifting of the saidVv shifting element, means for shifting .the second carrier with respect to the first carrier and operatively connected with then said shifting element that. is' associated with the carriers and means for moving the work holder with respect to the'second carrier, the work holder moving means and the shitting means of the second carrier having a common drive element whereby movement of they carriers together, movement of the second carrierwith respect to the iirst carv rierV and movementv of the work holder is simultaneously effected in predetermined relation.

- 13. A violin'scroll forming machine com prising a` rotary cutter having ark cutting face parallel with its axis of rotation and a cutting face at right angles thereto, avrotatable work holder that is movably 'in the f direction of its axis of rotation parallel vwith one face ofthe cutter and is movable parallel with the other face of the cutter toward and away from the cutter, a driving element and means 'operable from the driving element for simultaneously rotating the work holder and shifting it in `both of said y directions.

14;. A violin scroll forming machine comparallel with itsaxis .of rotation and a cut-A ting face at right angles thereto, a rotatable the cutter, a driving element and means operablet'rom the driving element for simul-py 1720 prising a rotary cutter having a cutting face I taneonsly rotating the Work holtlerand oi shifting it both in the cliieetion ot' itsnxie; of rotation Vaiiably vand atan angle to said axis, constantly.

^ 15. A machine for cutting a scroll of variable pitchcomprising a rotatable Cylindrical cutter having an enel cutting face and a side cutting face, a Work holder that is rotatable and Shiftahle toward and awa-y from Vthe cutter in the direction of its axis of rotation and at an angle to said axis, and means including a common driving element, 'for ronai-igiene toting-the work holder, fondrawing it away from the Cutter at an anglo to its axis of ifo tation and' for drawing it l ieciprocatingly away from the cutter inA a direction paiallel to. its ,axis of `rotation.

In testimony whereof, I aliX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

i NICHOLAS P. PERKNS.,

l/Vitnesses:

JOHNSON SWINBUBN., HoMER l. :HANNA- 

